Process of recovering sulfur from sulfur-bearing gases.



v 8. 8. SMITH. PROCESS OF REUOVERIN'G SULFUR FROM SULFUR BEARING GASES.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.3, 1907.

912,743. Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

W/TA/[SSESs- UNITED sIA'rnsrATENT OFFICE.

Piur, s, snnn, or WILMINGTON, DELAWALL,ASSI'GN on To THE E111. DU FONTDE NEMOURS POWDER COMPANY or WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A oonromrron OF NEWJERSEY.

incense or ancovnnme suLrun rnon SULFUR-BEARING essns.

Specification 0! Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

Application filed December 3, 1907. Serial No. 404,889.

To all it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL S. SMITH, a citi- 'zen of the United States,residing at Wilfur from Sulfur-Bearing Gases, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanyingdrawings, which form a part of this specification.

In a patent granted to me February 11, 1908, No. 878,569, I have setforth a process and apparatus for recovering sulfur from sulfur di'oxidin which producer gas and water as is successively formed and the watergas mixed with the suliur dic xid and the mixed heated by the combustionof the pro-- 1100! gas,- thus causing the mixed gases to react with eyetion' of sulfur va or. In said process and apparatus the pr 'ucer gasand water gas, alternately formed in the gas producer, are ledrespectively to storage tanks from which, as required, the two gases areseparately led to the reducer. This procs ess and apparatus areoperative and comparatively efiicient and economical, but the presentinvention has for its object to greatly enhance the eihciency andeconomy of the process by such modifications therein as will enable theproducer gas and water gas to be manufactured continuously instead ofalter nately, and to be lei-immediately upon their formation, to thereducer. In my prior "ap plication, while both water gas and producergas are led continuously to the reducer, the storage of each gas,necessitated by the intermittent nature of its manufacture, causes adrop in its temperature, thus requiring an expenditure of a certainamount of energy to elevate it to its temperature of combustion orreaction. My presentinvention, by providing for the continuousmanufacture of both gases, dispenses with the necessity of temporarilystoring either and permits of .both gases being led immediately to thereducer, thus enabling the process to be carried on with maximumefficiency and economy.

In the drawings, the figure represents a side elevation, partly insection, of my im provedap aratus.

10 and 00 are gas roducers'or generators consisting of steel she linedwith fire-brick and provided with grates 101.

1 land 110 are pipes leading from the blastmain 12, which is suppliedwith air by means of the blower 13, the admission of air beneath thegrates of the generators 10 and 100 being controlled by the blastates 14and 140, which are operated from t e working platform 9 by means of thehand-wheels 15 and 150. Each hand-wheel is connected with itscorresponding blast-gate by means of a pinion 16 on the hand-wheel shaftengaging a rack 17 on a rod 18 attached to the blast-gate.

19 and 190 are pipes leading from the steam header-8, by means of whichsteam under pressure is supplied beneath the grates of the generators 10and 100, the admission of steam being controlled by the valves 20 and200, which are operated from the work iug platform 9 by means of thefloor stands 21 and 210.

i 22 and 220 are covers which are removable for the purpose of chargingthe generators 10 and 100 with fuel.

23 and 230 are retorts consisting of steel shells lined with fire-brickand largely filled with fire-brick checker work.

24- and 240 are stack-valves, by means of which either retort may beallowed to discharge into the stacks 25 and 250.

26 and 260 are two-way valves, by means of which the gases from thegenerators 10 and 100 may be caused to pass to the upper parts of theretorts 23 and 230 through the pipes 27 and 270 to the lower parts ofthe retorts through pipes 28 and 280. Each twoway valve 26 or 260, throuh rod 261, and the corre'spondin stack va ves 24 or 240, through rod241, is connected with a correspondmg lever 29, which is operated from ahand wheel 30 by a pinion 31 on the handwheel shaft engaging a rack 32on the lever. The connections are so arranged that when the valves 26and 260 are in such position as to cause the gases from the generators10 and 100 to pass to the retorts 23 and 230 downward through the pipes28 and 280, the stack valves 24 and 240 are open, and similarly when thevalves 26 and 260 cause the gases to pass upwards through the (pipes 27and 270, the stack valves are close 33 is a two-way valve, similar tovalves 26 and 260, controlled from the working platform 9 by means ofthe hand wheel 34, pin ion 35', rack 36, and rod 37, and so placed inthe pipes 38 and 380, leading respectively from the retorts and-230, asto control egress of the gasesfrpm the retorts to the condensing system39. This condensing system may be of any suitable size," form andarrangement, and-is not hereinfurther described as itforms no part of myinvention herein claimed, v r l 40 and 400 are pipes leading from theblast-main 12 by meansof which air is supplied to the lower part of theretorts 23 and 230, the admission of air to the retorts being controlledby means of the valves 41- and 410, operated from the working platformby means of the floor stands 42 and 420.

43 is a pipe leading from a source of sulfur dioxid to the blower 44,which causes a current of sulfur dioxid to flow through the pipe 45 tothe valve 46, which controls the supply of sulfur diox'id to the retorts23 and 230 through the pipes 47 and 470. The valve 46 is operatedby'means of the hand wheel 48,;

- the latter having a pinion 49, engaging a rack of the fuel below t 5Oon a'rod 51attached to a lever 52 to which is also attached the rod 53carrying the valve 46.- 4

The operation of making water-gas being of an intermittent character,inasmuch as the passage of steam through the incandescent fueleventually lowers the tem erature 4 e point at'whic watergas is mostadvantageously formed, it becomes necessary to raise the fuel again tothe proper temperature by forcing a blast of air through it. Thisoperation forms producergas, whose manufactun' is alsoof .anintermittent nature. On the other hand, it is aimed. to make thereduction of the sulfur dioxid continuous, involving acontinuous supplyof both water-gas and producer-gas,

as well as ,a continuous supply of sulfur dioxid; The capacit of thefore a aratus to efiect this gontinuous op e f a i tion vi ill be aparent. I

Re erring again to the drawing, thefollowing conditions are re resented:The fuel in the generator 10 is being raised to the pro or temperaturefor making water-gas. The blast-gate 14 being open, the blast sup liedby the blower 13 passes through the b astmain 12 throu h the pipe 11 andupward through the ins in the generator 10, form-1 v to ing theso-called producer-gas, essentially a mixture of carbon monoxid andnitrogen.

The producerasso formed passes through the pups 27 to t e lower part ofthe retort 23, where an auxiliary blast of air is supplied by the pipe40 through the open valve 41. B

this supply of air the produceras is ignite its heat of combustion beingadded to its sensible heat, so that in its passa e upward through thefire-brick checker wor of the retort 23 the bricks are raised to a briht red heat, the waste gases finally escaping t rou h the open stackvalve 24, and to t e air through the stack 25. The valve 33 is in such aposition as to cut off the condensing system 39'f-rom'th'e retort 23,while the sulfur dioxidfiowing through the pipe 45 is pre vented by thevalve 46 from entering the retort 23.

It is assumedthat when the blast is put in operation on the generator10, as described, for the purpose OI bringing the fuel in the generator10 to the temperature of maximum efliciency for the formation ofwater-gas, the fuel in the generator 100 has already been brought to asuitably hightemperature by similar means Atthis point the blast-gate140 has been closed, and the steam valve 200 has been opened, admittingsteam beneath the grate of the generator 100. r The steam assing upwardthrou h the incandescent fuel is dissociated wit the formation ofwater-gas,.which passes through the valve 260. and the ipe 270 to theupperpart of the retort 230, t e inter-connection of the valve 260 andthe stack valve240 being such, as has been described, that when thevalve 260 is open the stack valve 240 is closed. The current of sulfur'dioxid supplied by the blower 44 through the pipe 45 is caused bythe'valve 46 to now through the pipe 470 to the up er part ofthe retort230.- Here'the sulfur iox id becomes mixed with the watergas, andpassing downward through the redhot checker work of the retort isreduced to sulfur. The sulfur vapor so formed, together with the otherproducts of the reaction, water vapor and carbon monoxid, pass throughthe pipe 380 to the condensing system 39, to w 'ch access is given bythe twoway valve 33. In contact with the extensive cooling surface ofthe condensing system, the hot gases fall to such a temperature that thesulfur vaporcondenses; first to a liquid in the hotter parts of thecondensing system, and finally to solid flowers of sulfur in the coolerortions. Suitable means should be provi ed for the occasional removal ofthe accumulated sulfur. It is assumed now that thecontinued operation ofthe air blast has restored the fuel in the generator 10 to itstemperature of maximum efficiency for the formation of wateras,

and that the checker work in the reort 23 as been highly heated by thecombustion of the producer-gas formed in heating the fuel in thegenerator 10. At the same time the continued production of water-gas inthe generator 100 has reduced the temperature of the fuel below thepoint of maximum eflicienc for the formation of water as, and thechecker work in the retort 230 as been somewhat cooled by the continuedpassage of the comparatively cold sulfur dioxid. The biast-gate 14, andthe auxiliary blastvalve 41 are now closed, cutting off t from thegenerator 10 and the auxiliary blast from the retort 23. By means of thehand wheel 30 the stack-valve 24 is. now closed,

e blast and the valve 26 reversed, while the valve 20 I successivelysteam from the generator 100, and the valve 33 is reversed, cutting offthe retort 230 from the condensing system 39, and iving access to thecondensing system from t e retort 23. The blast-gate 140 is now opened,while the stack-valve 243 is 0 ened, andthe two-way valve 260 reversedby the operation of the hand wheel 300. h'inally, the auxiliaryblast-valve 410 is open, thus supplying the air necessary for thecombustion, in the retort 230, of the producer-gas from the generator100. The entire system of valves now presents relations the reverse ofthose indicated in the. drawing, while the reactions in progressin thegenerator 10 and the retort 23, and in the generator 100 and the retort230, are mutua y reversed with reference to the foregoing description.The generators and retorts operating thus in alternation with referenceto the generation of water-gas, and the heating of the retorts by thecombustion of the producer-gasformed incidentally in maintainin the fuelin the generators at the temperature requisite for tie formation ofwater-gas, the rocess, of reducing sulfur dioxid to sulfur ecomescontinuous.

In an application filed of even date herewith, No. 404,890 I have shownand described another method and apparatus for recovering sulfur fromsulfur. dioxidhaving certain fee ures in common with the specific methodand apparatus hereinbefore described. The method of said applicationNo.,404,890 is covered by the broader of the claims hereinafter reclted,but is not herein claimed specifically.

'what I claim and I do not herein claim the apparatus herein describedfor carrying out the process herein claimed, as said apparatus forms thesubject of a divisional application filed June 10, 1908, Serial No.437,645.

Having now fully described my invention,

' desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. The process of recovering sulfur from sulfur dioxid consistinginmanufacturing Water-gas in each of a plurality of separate generators,mixing the water-gas formed in the several generators successively withsulfur diox 'l, and heating said mixed gases, thereby causing acontinuous reaction of water-gas and sulfur dioxid.

2. 'lheprocess of recovering sulfur from sulfur dioxid consisting inmanufacturing producer-gas and water-gas in each of a plurality ofseparate generators, mixing the Water-gas formed in the severalgenerators time the L valve 200 is closed, cutting 0H the supply of lwith the sulfur with sul-fur dioxid, and successively utilizing theproduces-gas formed in the several generators to produce the heat Irequired for the reaction of the mixed gases.

3. The process of recovering sulfur from sulfur. dioxid consisting inalternately manufacturing producer-gas and water-gas, leading thewater-gas directly to and mixing it dioxid, and. heating said mixedgases by the heat evolved b the combustion of-the producer-gas. therefiycausin the mixed gases to react with evolution 0 sulfur vapor.

4. The process of recovering sulfur from sulfur dioxid which consists inmanufacturing producer gas in one generator and simultaneously therewithwater gas in another enerator and mixing the water as so formed withsulfur dioxid, then manu acturing water gas in' the first generator ansimultaneously therewith producer gas in the second generator and mixingthe water gas formed in the first generator with sul ur dioxid. andcontinuously heating water gas and sulfur dioxid so mixedby means of theheat evolved by the combustion of the producer gas successively formedin said generators.

5. The process of recovering sulfurfrom sulfur dioxid which consists inmanufacturing producer gas in one generator and simultaneously therewithwater gas in another enerator and mixing the water gas so ormed withsulfur dioxid heatin said mixed gases by means of heat evolved by thecombustion of producer gas formed in the second generator, thenmanufacturing water gas in the first generator and simultaneouslytherewith producer gas in the second generator and mixing the water gasformed in the first generator with sulfur dioxid and heating said mixedgases by means of heat evolved by the combustion of reducer gas formedin the first generator, t ereby cansin a continuous reaction ofwater-gas and su fur dioxid.

6. The process of recovering sulfur from sulfur-dioxid which consists inalternately manufacturing producer gas and water-gas in each of aplurality of se arate generators, and simultaneously manu acturingproducer gas in one generator and water gas in the other generator, andvice versa, mixing the water-gas formed in one generator with sulfurdioxid and heating said mixed gases by means of the heat evolved by thecombustion of the producer-gas formed in the same enerator, andthenmixing the wateras formed in the second generator with sul ur dioxid andheating said mixed gases by means of the heat evolved by the combustionof the producer-gas formed in the second generator, thereby causing acontinuous reaction of water-gas and su fur dioxid.

& 912,743

7. The process of recovering sulfur from sulfur dioxid, thereby causingthe mixed 1o sulfur dioxid which consistsin producing a gases to reactwith evolution of sulfur vapor. substantially continuous stream ofwater- In testimony of which invention, I have gas and mixing it withsulfur dioxid in order hereunto set my hand, at Wilmington DeL, toutilize the same at substantially its initial on this 25th day ofNovember, 1907. heat, and also producing a substantially con- PAUL S.SMITH. tinuous stream of producer-gas and'utilizing Witnesses: its heatas Well as the heat produced by its -D. COLEMAN BEAsTEN, combustion forheating said water-gas and S. J. THOMISON.

